MONON BOARD
MONON Trains => Passenger Trains => Topic started by: Ken Weller on April 09, 2012, 04:39:20 pm
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April 9, 1959 Passenger service ends on the Monon between Chicago and Indianapolis.
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Was it the 9th, or 10th? The 2012 Calendar says the 10th. We all know Cecil is never wrong. LOL. But, we do know that passenger service on the Indy Line ended in 1959, either today or tomorrow.
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March 31, 1959
Vidette Messenger
Monon Ruling Last By PSC With VanNess
Indianapolis—The Indiana Public Service
Commission today allowed the Monon Railroad to
drop four of its six daily passenger trains
because of consistent revenue losses.
As of April 10, the Monon will be permitted to
stop running its four daily trains between
Chicago and Indianapolis.
However, the line will be required to continue
service with its two trains per day operating
between Chicago and New Albany.
The Monon had requested to drop all six trains
and get out of the passenger business entirely.
Today’s compromise ruling came from a special
PSC meeting just before Chairman John W. VanNess
of Valparaiso stepped down to take a job with
Midwest Steel Corp.
“We found there is a much greater need for
passenger service between Chicago and Louisville
than between Chicago and Indianapolis,†VanNess
said.
“There is adequate transportation on other
railroads and on buses from Chicago to here,
but in many places on the west leg of the Monon,
a person would have to go to Indianapolis first
in order to travel north to south.â€
VanNess, who is leaving the PSC Monday, also
said the commission found passenger revenue on
the Chicago-Louisville route was much greater
than on the Chicago-Indianapolis branch.
The east and west legs of the Monon split at
the town of Monon in White County.
Losing passenger service as of April 10 will be
the communities of Monticello, Delphi,
Rossville, Frankfort and Indianapolis.
The daily round trip between Chicago and
Louisville still will serve Lafayette,
Crawfordsville, Greencastle, Bloomington,
Bedford, Salem and New Albany.
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April 10, 1959
Logansport Press
Last Passenger Is Run By Monon
Indiana towns from Indianapolis to Monticello
had their last look at a Monon Railroad Passenger
train Thursday.
The passing of the Monon was both a little sad and
a little unnoticed. There was no ceremony and no
farewell. The dieselized iron horse was being
allowed to die quietly.
The Monon, seeking to drop all passenger service
because of financial loss, was given authority by
the Public Service Commission to discontinue
service between Chicago and Indianapolis.
The Monon must continue service between Chicago and
Louisville, Ky. The two lines diverge at the town
of Monon.
My added comment:
April 9, 1959 was a Thursday, so if the above article is correct, the last day was April 9th.
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On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduces America's first astronauts to the press: Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Walter Schirra Jr., Alan Shepard Jr., and Donald Slayton. The seven men, all military test pilots, were carefully selected from a group of 32 candidates to take part in Project Mercury, America's first manned space program. NASA planned to begin manned orbital flights in 1961